Elite wide receiver trims recruitment to 12, Florida State makes the cut

Florida State is in the running for some of the top players in the country in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Luckily for the Seminoles, the Sunshine State is filled with a talented crop of rising seniors, and head coach Mike Norvell is looking to take advantage.

On Saturday evening, four-star wide receiver Calvin Russell III announced he was trimming his recruitment down to 12 schools. FSU made the cut alongside Miami, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, USC, LSU, Michigan, Auburn, North Carolina, and Syracuse.

The Seminoles have been pursuing Russell IIII for nearly two years after offering him a scholarship in June of 2023. He's made a few trips to Tallahassee, most recently in March of last year to watch a spring practice.

A lot has changed at Florida State since then, most notably the program moving on from Ron Dugans and replacing him with Tim Harris Jr. A return visit in the near future will be a priority for the Seminoles in their pursuit of the blue-chip prospect.

NEWS: Elite 2026 WR Calvin Russell III is down to 1️⃣2️⃣ Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’5 195 WR from Opa Locka, FL is ranked as the No. 4 WR in the ‘26 Class (On3 Industry)

Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/qsaalpasw5 pic.twitter.com/UEiX023buf
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 2, 2025

Russell III is coming off a junior season where he led Miami North to a state championship. He caught 39 passes for 704 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding two scores on the ground. Russell III also plays basketball at the prep level where he averaged 15.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.

It's worth noting that four-star safety and Florida State commitment, Tedarius Hughes, recently transferred to Miami Northwestern for his season season. Hughes and Russell III will be teammates this fall.

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound wide receiver is regarded as the No. 14 overall prospect, the No. 4 WR, and the No. 2 recruit in Florida in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

Florida State holds seven verbal commitments in its 2026 class which ranks No. 12 in the country. The Seminoles previously landed four-star wide receiver Efrem White and four-star wide receiver Darryon Williams.